The Best Cordless Tool Gifts for DIYers

Giving the gift of tools can be tricky, because the person you’re buying for might have specific preferences and needs. Knowing the type of thing that a handy person likes to do—such as woodworking or car maintenance—can get you started, but you can also take a peep at the tools they already have. Accounting for what cordless battery system they already own and what brand of hand tools they use can help guide your choice when picking out a tool to gift—the key to choosing the right cordless tool for a DIY enthusiast is figuring out what battery system they already have. Once you know that, you can look for tools and batteries that will work with their existing tools and any new ones they add. Here are a few of the best cordless power tools to gift from the most popular battery systems.

Best drill and driver combo to gift

A drill and driver are the cornerstone of any cordless power tool set. DeWalt makes some of the most reliable tools on the market, and their drivers and drills are well known for being reliable and durable. The DeWalt drill and driver set I use every day in my professional shop is a great gift for a DIYer who wants to replace their drill and driver or to start a cordless tool kit, and you can get it for $149. The DeWalt 20-volt drill and driver set on Amazon comes with a drill, impact driver, two 2-amp-hour batteries, a charger, and a tool bag.

For woodworking and DIY home projects, finishing your work is one of the most satisfying parts of the process. A good sander is key to everything from drywall repair to building furniture. The 18-volt Milwaukee orbital sander that I use in my personal tool kit for furniture making is a hard working tool that I use almost every day. Milwaukee tools have had a reputation for being durable since they made the first portable drills for the Ford assembly lines in 1924, so it’s considered a quality brand for DIY maintenance and woodworking, and you can gift it for $99 at Home Depot.

If you’re looking for a cordless tool set for a DIYer building their first kit, Ryobi is a good quality option for the money. In addition to being a more affordable option for cordless battery systems, Ryobi 18-volt batteries work with over 300 tools, allowing you to expand your tool set without needing new batteries. The Milwaukee 18-volt 6-tool combo kit includes a drill, impact driver, circular saw, reciprocating saw, a work light, an oscillating multitool, a 2-amp-hour battery, a 4-amp-hour battery, a charger, and a tool bag, and you can get the whole kit for $200.

If you’ve ever been stranded with a flat tire, or even gotten a puncture from driving over a nail in your own garage after a DIY project, you know that having a portable tire inflator can be a life saver. For a new driver, or for someone who needs a little extra safety built into their life, the 20-volt DeWalt portable tire inflator is a great gift for $169 at Ace Hardware. This tool works with a 20-volt DeWalt battery, so it’s a good addition to an existing kit, or along with a set of DeWalt batteries.

If you have someone on your list who loves to trim and snip out in the yard, the Ryobi 18-volt oil-free pole saw is a good idea for a gift. This is a good tool for tree and shrub trimming, and it goes with the Ryobi 18-volt battery system, which includes lots of other cordless landscaping tools. Since this is a tool-only package, you’ll need an 18-volt Ryobi battery and charger to use it, so it’s a good gift for someone who already has Ryobi tools—and it’s a good deal at Home Depot for $99.

The best cordless router around is the Milwaukee 18-volt router. For a portable option that doesn’t require dragging a cord around behind you that can get snagged on things, this router is the best. This set comes with a router, two 6-amp-hour batteries, and a charger for $299 at Home Depot, but you’ll need bits for the router to use it. This is a great gift for someone who likes to do woodworking projects, as it allows you to trim and shape edges as well as cutting your own trim profiles.

The Milwaukee 18-volt portable band saw is a good gift for someone with a home shop metalworking set because it’s compact and powerful. The saw can accept material up to five inches thick and five inches deep, allowing metal cutting for a wide range of projects from fence poles to decorative cuts for shelving. This is a tool-only package for $399, but you can add a free six-amp-hour battery right now with the free with purchase deal from Home Depot.